Aggregation Will Break Urban, Regional Barriers for Niche OTTs

With niche streaming platforms, including international players like Apple TV+ and regional services such as hoichoi and Chaupal, now bundled into popular aggregation services, industry experts see an opportunity for these platforms to move closer to the mainstream in a cluttered OTT economy.

- Lata Jha

Bundling through services like Prime Video Channels has helped many platforms reach beyond their core linguistic audiences. For instance, Apple TV+ is now accessible to users outside its traditional, urban, upmarket base, while names like hoichoi and Chaupal are being discovered by non-Bengali or Punjabi viewers.

"Aggregation has proven instrumental in expanding our footprint beyond core markets," Soumya Mukherjee, chief operating officer of Bengali streaming service hoichoi, said. "For hoichoi, being part of Amazon Channels has allowed us to tap into new user cohorts, especially in regions where Bengali isn't the primary language. These partnerships enhance discoverability, leading to higher engagement and time spent from previously untapped audiences."